About 50 of the “most vulnerable refugees” in the African nation are set to settle in Britain as part of a multimillion-pound deal reached last week between the two countries, under which thousands of British asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda for consideration. their claims. It has also emerged that victims of modern-day slavery will be among those expelled from Britain under the agreement, despite the UK government condemning Rwanda for failing to protect and support trafficking survivors before less than a year. The document outlining the terms of the immigration agreement states that arrangements will be made for Britain to “settle some of Rwanda’s most vulnerable refugees, recognizing the commitment of both parties to providing better international protection for refugees”. A Home Office source told the Independent that this would amount to “about 50” refugees being transported to Britain from the country. Rwanda is already hosting more than 127,000 refugees, mostly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, most of whom are in refugee camps. Louise Calvey, head of services and protection at Refugee Action, said: “Every last detail of this miserable deal put forward by the Home Secretary reveals that it is nothing more than a miserable and immoral human trafficking. “The plan to receive 50 vulnerable refugees from Rwanda suggests that the government does not have full confidence in the system there to protect people fleeing war and persecution. “Refugees must be resettled with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and as part of a more ambitious and long-term program to receive and support 10,000 people each year to rebuild their lives in the United Kingdom.” The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which facilitates resettlement worldwide, including Rwanda, estimates that there are approximately 6,000 refugees in the East African country in need of resettlement. However, a spokesman for the group said it was not aware of any plans to relocate refugees from Rwanda to the UK, as “it was not a party” to the terms of the agreement. Announcing the agreement last week, Boris Johnson said the approach would “provide safe and legal avenues for asylum”. However, apart from plans to receive 50 refugees from Rwanda, there is still no evidence that the government is going to increase its safe and legal routes to the UK. The number of people relocated to Britain as part of resettlement programs – one of Britain’s main safe and legal refugee routes – fell 79% between 2019 and 2021, from 5,606 to 1,171. The Nationality in Borders bill, which is currently in parliament, seeks to deny asylum seekers arriving in the UK by unauthorized routes – such as small boats in the English Channel – the right to bring their family members to meet. in Britain. Enver Solomon, executive director of the Refugee Council, said: “With so few safe and legal routes available, people fleeing war and persecution have no choice but to risk their lives in small boats in their hands. of smugglers in despair. to find security. “Instead of extending safe routes, the government’s border bill is destroying the main legal route for refugees, severely restricting refugee family reunification, allowing thousands of women and children facing violence and persecution to settle safely. in Britain. recent years.” The Memorandum of Understanding on the Migration Agreement also makes it clear that victims of modern slavery will be among those sent to Rwanda, stating that the country will receive information on resettled persons’ victim of modern-day slavery and human trafficking “. This is despite the fact that, just last July, the UK’s international human rights ambassador, Rita Frances, condemned Rwanda for failing to “control, identify and provide assistance to victims of trafficking” in the country. Kolbassia Haoussou MBE, of the Freedom from Torture charity, said: less than a year ago This government condemned that it did not support. “As the recent compassion of the people of this country for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine and Afghanistan shows, the government is dangerously indifferent to public opinion on this issue.” The Interior Ministry and the Rwandan government have been approached for comment.
